Apparatus for heating and handling bituminous materials



w. J. MxLLx-:R 2,613,665

APPARATUS FOR HEATING AND HANDLING BITUMINOUS MATERIALS Oct. 14, 1952 2SHEETS-SHEET l Filed April 15, 1950 I I N VEN TQR /1/////w7 f/V////r A'A ZTOE/VEX W. J. MILLER APPARATUS FOR HEATING AND HANDLING BITUMINOUSMATERIALS Filed April 15, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IN VEN T08. I/////'amf/V//a/i.

Patented Oct. 14, 1952 APPARATUS FOR HEATING AND HANDLING BITUMINOUSMATERIALS William J. Miller, Youngstown, Ohio, assigner to Hy-WayMachinery, Incorporated, Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of OhioApplication April 15, 1950, Serial No. 156,060

(Cl. 12S-343.5)

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to apparatus for heating and handling bituminousmaterial such as asphalt and the like and in particular relates to adevice for heating a supply of fluid heating medium such as oil inconjunction with means for circulating the uid heating medium through anasphalt supply such as a tank car.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of apparatus formaintaining a supply of a fluid heating medium at desirable temperaturesand incorporating means for circulating the fluid heating medium througha booster tank containing asphalt andvthrough a primary source of supplyof asphalt whereby the asphalt may be handled rapidly and efficiently.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for rapidlyand efficiently heating asphalt in a supply tank to enable the same tobe withdrawn and incorporating means for secondary heating of the saidasphalt in a secondary supply tank to raise the same to desirabletemperatures for further handling.

A still further object of theA invention is the provision of apparatusfor heating and handling bituminous material such as asphalt and thelike and taking the form of a portable device capable of being moved tovarious locations for handling asphalt as from tank cars spotted on joblocations.

The apparatus for heating and handling bituminous materials as disclosedherein comp-rises a simple and efcient portable apparatus which may beused in the asphalt industry for the efiicien't and rapid handling ofasphalt and the like as compared with heretofore known and practicedmethods of handling such material. As is known in the art, it hasheretofore been the practice to utilize steam generators and the like toheat tank cars of bituminous material such as asphalt to a temperaturewhere the asphalt could be withdrawn from the tank car by pumping thesame therefrom and which tank car necessitated bringingv the heatingapparatus to the tank car location well in advance of the need of theasphalt from the tank car to enable sufficient time to elapse for theheating device to sufficiently warm the entirev contents of the tank carto make such withdrawal possible. The,

steam boiler such as heretofore used and to thereby raise thetemperature of the contents of the .tank car to working temperatures ata much faster rate than heretofore believed possible. Additionally, andmore importantly, the asphalt in the tank car, after having been raisedto temperatures Where it may be pumped therefrom, may then betransferred to a booster tank in the `apparatus where higher operatingtemperatures may be imparted to the asphalt to enable it to besubsequently handled by distributors and the like. y

The invention therefore contemplates the provision of a portableapparatus including a supply of a iiuid heating medium, novel means formaintaining desirable working temperatures in said iiuid heating mediumand for circulating the said fluid heating medium through a booster tankin the apparatus and through a primary supply source ofbituminousmaterials.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood thatv changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made Within thescope of what is claimed without departing vfrom the spirit of theinvention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is an end View of the apparatus for heating and handlingbituminous material..

Figure 2 is a side View of the apparatus for heating and handlingbituminous material. y

Figure 3 is an end view taken on line 3 3 `of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional side elevation of the apparatus shown inFigures 1 and 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5 5 of Figure Ll.

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on line 6--6 of Figure 4.

By referring to the drawings and Figures l and 2 in particular it willbe seen that the apparatusfor heating and handling bituminousmaterials'comprises a trailer structure including a platform il) formed-ofi a pair of tanks l! and I2 positioned longitudinally thereof andhaving spring supporting brackets and shackles lit-i2 positionedtherebelow for positioning an axiale and a pairof ground engaging wheelstherebeneath. The platform i@.of the ice is formed primarily of the twolcngitud'i rally es:- tending tanks l! and l2 and has two smallerauxiliary tanks I6 and I1 positioned at one end thereof, as best shownin Figures 4 and 6 of the drawings. The plurality of tanks I I, I2, I6and I 1 therefore comprises the supporting framework of the apparatusand the tanks II and I2 in particular comprise pressure vessels as thesame form the booster tank heretofore mentioned for final heating ofasphalt and the like and by means of heating coils I8 located therein.

The tanks II and I2 have a communicating opening I9 near their rearmostends so that material introduced into the opposite end of one of thetanks I I and I2 will flow lengthwise thereof through the opening I9 andthence lengthwise of the other tank to a point of discharge. The inletand outlet openings are shown in Figures 2 and 4 of the drawings whereinthe inlet opening is indicated by the numeral and the outlet opening bythe numeral 2l. A liquid pump 22 is positioned on the platform Illadjacent the inlet opening 20 and in communication therewith by means ofa pipe 23. An inlet 24 on the pump 22 provides means for connection withpiping communicating with a source of asphalt such as a tank car (notshown) It will thus be seen that asphalt can be moved from a source ofsupply by the pump 22 into the booster formed ofthe tanks II and I2circulated therethrough and discharged through the opening 2I to anydesired point such as, for example, an asphalt distributor. An engine 25is positioned adjacent the pump 22 for driving the same.

vA fuel oil burner and blower 33 therefor are also positioned on theplatform III and operatively connectedy with the shaft 28. A majorportion of the platform I0 is occupied by a semi-cylindrical casing 3|forming a tank or receptacle and including ends 32 and'33 and enclosinga secondary semi-cylindrical casing 34 of smaller size, as best shown inFigures 4 and 5 of the drawings. The secondary semi-cylindrical casing34 is positioned within the semi-cylindrical casing 3| in spacedrelationship to the same with the exception of the end wall 33 wherebyan annular chamber 35 is formed about the exterior of thesemicylindrical casing 34 and within the semi-cylindricalv casing 3I.The annular chamber 35 is adapted to be substantially filled with liquidheating medium such as oil to the level shown therein in Figure 4 of thedrawings, it being observed that an atmospheric vent 36 is provided sothat the annular chamber 35 operates at atmospheric pressure only.

The annular chamber 35 is separated from the interior of the secondarysemi-cylindrical casing 34 by a secondary end wall 31 and the spacewithin the secondary semi-cylindrical casing 34 comprises a combustionchamber 38 divided into upper and lower portions by a longitudinallyextending, transverse baille 39 which terminates short of the secondaryend wall 31. The end wall 33 heretofore referred to is provided with arefractory lining 40 and an opening 4I into which products of combustionare introduced, as shown by arrows in Figure 4 of the drawings, as bythe oil burner 30 heretofore referred to.

The end Wall 33 is also vprovided with a secondary opening 42 above thetransverse baille 39 and which opening or outlet 42 communicates with astack 43. It will thus be seen that an ignitable combustible materialintroduced into the combustion chamber 38 will pass longitudinallythrough the lower part of the chamber 38 around the foremost end of thebaille 39y and 1on- 4 gitudinally of the upper portion of the chamber 38to the stack 43 and thence to atmosphere.

A heating coil 44 comprising a plurality of convolutions of suitabletubular material is disposed within the chamber 38 and located in thelower larger portion thereof under the baille 39, as best shown inFigures 4 and 5 of thedrawings. One end of the heating coil 44 isindicated by the numeral 45 and is placed in communication with theoutlet of the oil pump 26 heretofore referred to. The inlet of the pump26 is in communication with the lower portion of the annular chamber 35by way of a tubular member or pipe 41. The other end of the heating coil44 is indicated by the numeral 48 and communicates with the uppermostpart of the annular chamber 35. Thus the coil 44 is filled with oilalong with the chamber 35 as heretofore described and it will beobserved by those skilled in the art that products of combustionintroduced into the combustion chamber 38 will heat the oil in theheating coil 44, whichoil is continuously circulated through the annularchamber 35 by the pump 26 which is in operation when the burner 30 isoperated as both the pump 28 and the burner 30 are dependentforoperation upon the engine 29.

The upper portion of the annular chamber 35 is in communication with theinlet of the oil pump 2'I by way of a tubular member or pipe 43 and theoutlet of the oil pump 21 is in communication by way of athree-way'valve 5o with the coils I8 in the tanks I I and I2 heretoforereferred to. Hot oil from the annular chamber 35 may thus be pumped bythe oil pump 21 through the coils I8 as the coils I8 are also incommunication with the annular chamber 35 by way of an opening 5Itherein, as best shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. Thus, operatingtemperatures may be maintained in the coils I8 comparable with that inthe oil heating portions of the apparatus and specifically the annularchamber 35 and heating coils 44. Asphalt introduced into the boostertank formed of the tanks II and I2 may thus be rapidly heated todesirable temperatures as heretofore explained.

The three-way Valvey provides a connection so that hot oil from theoutlet of the pump 21 may be pumped directly to coils as, for example,those in a tank car comprising the source of asphalt, the return fromsuch coils being introduced into the opening 5I by way of a secondarythree-way valve and connection 52.

It will thus be seen that the device is operative to vmeet the objectsof the invention as hereinbefore set forth in that oil in the heatingcoils 44 and annular chamber 35 is maintained at desired temperaturessuch as, for example, 600 F. by the operation of the burner 3l) which inturn takes its fuel oil supply from the tank I6. It will be observedthat at such times as the burner 3U is operating, the pumps 25 and 21will also operate as they are both driven by the engine 29 whichoperates the burner 30. The hot oil in the heater portion of the deviceis constantly circulated through the coils I8 in the tanks Ii and I2forming the platform of the device and by way of the three-way valvesand connections 5U and 5I through a source of asphalt such as a tank carto the end that the temperature in the tank car is rapidly built up to apoint where the asphalt pump 22 may be operated to move asphalt from thetank car into the tanks II and I2 where the temperature thereof israpidly clevated and from whence the properly heated asphalt is'discharged throughv the opening 2I and a pipe connected therewith to anasphalt distributor or the like. It will thus be seen that in normaloperation the tanks II and I2 (which form in eect a baffled boostertank) are iilled with asphalt and that when the apparatus is first movedinto position adjacent a tank car, the initial heating operation bringsthe asphalt in the tanks I I and I2 to operating temperatures in a veryshort time. Simultaneously with such operation, connections to the tankcar enable the contents thereof to be subsequently heated sufficientlyto be moved by the pump 22 into the tanks II and I2 where the additionalheat necessary is imparted, the material thus speeding up the heatingand pumping operation and fulfilling one of the principal objects of theinvention.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the apparatus may beformed in various sizes and capacities and that it will operate to meetthe several objects of the invention as hereinbefore set forth.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Apparatus for heating and handling asphaltic material comprising afirst container for said material, a secondary container for a liquidheating medium, means for heating the said liquid heating medium in thesaid secondary container comprising a combustion chamber having aheating coil located therein, the said heating coil communicating withthe said secondary container at spaced locations, means for heating saidasphaltic material in the said first container, said means comprising asecondary heating coil in the iirst named container in communicationwith the secondary container, pump means for circulating the said liquidheating medium through said coils, and secondary pump means for movingsaid asphaltic material to and from said secondary container.

2. Apparatus for heating and handling asphaltic material comprising acontainer for said material, pump means for moving said asphalticmaterial therethrough, heat exchanger coils in said container, means for`supplying a heating medium to said heat exchanger coils, said meanscomprising a secondary container having a combustion chamber therein anda secondary heat exchanger coil located therein, the said secondary heatexchanger coil communicating with the said secondary container, andmeans for circulating a heating medium through said secondary heatexchanger coil and the secondary container.

3. Means for heating and handling asphaltic material comprising aportable mechanism having an asphalt tank forming a supporting frame,and pump means for moving asphalt into and out of said tank, heatexchange coils in said tank, means on said supporting frame forsupplying a liquid medium to said heat exchange coils, said meanscomprising a hot oil heater including a tank having a combustion chamberlocated therein, a heat exchanger coil in said combustion chamber and incommunication with the said tank enclosing the combustion chamber, andpump means for circulating a liquid heating medium through said tank andsaid heat exchanger coil.

4. Apparatus for heating and handling asphaltic material comprising aportable structure including a pair of tanks positioned in side-bysiderelation to each other and in communication with one another adjacentone of their ends, means adjacent their opposite ends for introducingasphalt thereinto and removing asphalt therefrom, heating coils in saidtanks, said tanks forming a supporting platform, a double walled tanksupported upon said platform and forming a combustion chamber, secondaryheat exchanger coils in said combustion chamber communicating with spacebetween the double walls of the said tank, said double walled tank andthe last mentioned heat exchanger coils being adapted to receive aliquid heating medium, and means for circulating the said heating mediumtherethrough and circulating means establishing communication betweenspace between the Walls of said double walled tank and the heating coilsin the said pair of tanks whereby asphaltic material introduced into thesaid pair of tanks may be rapidly heated.

5. The apparatus set forth in claim 4 and further characterized by thecirculating means comprising a pair of pumps interconnected forsimultaneous operation,

6. 'Ihe structure of claim 2 wherein the coil in the combustion chamberextends longitudinally therein between front and rear end walls thereofand is spaced downwardly from the top of the said combustion chamber,one end wall being formed with an outlet for products of combustion, anda horizontal baffle plate over said coil extending longitudinally insaid combustion chamber the full width thereof from the said end Walland terminating in spaced relation to the other end wall, said baffleplate dening an outlet passage leading to the outlet and serving toconne products of combustion in the combustion chamber around the coil.

7.. An apparatus for heating andl handling asphaltic material comprisinga receptacle for the said material, a container for a liquid heatingmedium, a casing in said container spaced from walls thereof andconstituting a combustion chamber surrounded by liquid-receiving spacein said container, pump means for circulating liquid heating mediumthrough the space in said container, a heater communicating with saidcombustion chamber and serving to discharge hot products of combustioninto the combustion chamber, said combustion chamber having an outletfor the products of combustion, and a hollow heat-absorbing member insaid combustion chamber defining a tortuous path for the said liquidheating medium, the said tortuous path having one end communicating withsaid pump and the other end of the tortuous path communicating with aportion of the medium-receiving space within the container.

WILLIAM J. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,602,476 Ballard Oct. 12, 19261,790,555 Plumb Jan. 27, 1931 2,091,801 Amiek et al Aug. 31, 19372,136,738 Giordano Nov. 15, 1938 2,317,441 Chausse Apr. 27, 19432,439,367 Middlestadt Apr. 6, 1948 2,506,412 Chausse May 2, 1950

